Completion of the Mulberry Avenue Roundabout and 2nd Street one-way to two-way conversion marks a significant milestone in the City of Muscatine’s effort to reconnect their downtown with the Mississippi River. The roundabout stands as the eastern gateway to the downtown business district. The design incorporates salvaged historic brick pavers alongside new streetscape elements to merge the city’s past with its future.

The elegant function and traffic safety inherent to the roundabout design replaced an awkward stop-controlled intersection. The center circle is sized large enough to accommodate truck traffic from adjacent industrial businesses while providing space for public art to celebrate Muscatine’s rich culture. Conversion of 2nd Street on the west leg of the roundabout from one-way to two-way allows westbound traffic on Business Highway 61 to directly enter the 2nd Street business corridor.

As both an efficient traffic element and an aesthetic improvement, the roundabout physically and symbolically links major industrial businesses in its southeast quadrant with the city library in the southwest quadrant and local businesses in the northwest and northeast quadrants, providing connectivity and access for all.